Chapter 35: Karma

**AUTHOR’S NOTE: There’s been a mix-up in the name ‘Archie’ and ‘Asher’ throughout the story. To clarify, they are the same character, but moving forward, the name has been corrected to Asher for consistency. Thank you for understanding!**

**|BLAKELY**

Elijah’s car screeched to a halt in front of the estate, the tires skidding slightly on the gravel, and the jolt shook me from the daze I’d been in since he picked me up. I reached for the door handle, and he did the same, both of us stepping out at the same time.

I was really ready to bolt to the door and end this miserable night, but a thought made me stop the second I took the first step. I turned to him, feeling his gaze as he studied me. “Thanks,” I muttered, barely audible.

He smiled, the edges of his lips twitching like he was debating whether to say more. He settled on, “Make sure you find something warm to drink. And take some medicine, yeah? Don’t want to catch a cold.”

I rolled my eyes but gave him a nod. He smiled shortly and ran his hand through his hair. I watched as he got back in his car, the engine coming to life softly before he drove off into the night.

The workers were all in for the night, except a few that paroled with bright touches, but for whatever reasons they weren't alerted when I arrived with a stranger, one only spoke into his earpiece and continued his Walk. I turned to the massive door, reaching out to press the bell, but before I could, it swung open.

I flinched, stumbling back a step, and Asher stood there, exhaling sharply when his eyes landed on me. Relief flickered across his face before it was replaced by what seemed to be concern, and anger combined.

Without a word, he pulled his phone from his pocket and shoved it toward me, the screen almost hitting my nose. “Did you intentionally ignore your phone, or do you just enjoy making everyone worried sick?” he whisper-yelled, trying to keep it low so as not to wake everyone up.

My eyes darted to the screen. Missed calls. Missed calls. Missed calls. My name, my name, my name repeated over and over, filling the log. My stomach twisted more as I saw the time.

Eleven PM.

“Shit,” I muttered, my voice cracking. Dropping my shoes, I scrambled through my bag, flipping through every pocket, digging like I could make the damn thing appear out of thin air. “Shit, shit, shit!”

It wasn’t there.

I froze, staring at the bag like it betrayed me. Then it hit me. The pool. The phone. I’d been holding it when I went in. My hand flew to my face, the realization crashing down on me like the water had earlier.

My phone.

Years of work, gone. Pictures, notes, files—everything.

My phone!

My fûcking phone!!!

Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!

Please, this better be a dream. This isn't happening! This shouldn't be happening.

My chest tightened, and tears pricked at my eyes. I clenched my fists, trying to hold back the sobs threatening to spill out. But it was no use.

The bag flew from my hands, landing with a dull thud against the wall. I kicked my shoes, one after the other, barely noticing when they clattered across the floor. And then, I couldn't help the loud scream that left my throat.

Now it hurts.

Asher’s hand clamped over my mouth, muffling the noise instantly. His eyes widened, panic flashing in them as he hissed, “Do you want to wake everyone up?”

I blinked up at him, my vision blurry with tears. He didn’t let go until I nodded weakly.

He said, his tone softened, "come on" He gently grabbed my arm and led me inside. The warmth of the house wrapped around me, but it didn’t do much to thaw the icy knot in my chest.

Asher guided me to my room, shutting the door behind us. He then helped me to my bed as though I might shatter if he wasn’t gentle. I sank onto the edge of the mattress, my arms wrapping instinctively around myself. The tears had dried on my cheeks, but the lump in my throat remained there. I've never been in such a mess all my life.

He stood in front of me, towering and still, watching me like he was trying to figure out what to say.

“What were you looking for back there?” he finally asked. Rubbing his palm on his cheek.

“My phone,” I sniffled, the words barely making it past my lips. I didn’t even look at him when I said it, just stared blankly at the floor.

Everything was gone.

Everything was fucking gone.

Gone.

Asher crouched down slightly, trying to meet my eyes. “Frankie said you fell into the pool. Did you have it with you then?”

I nodded slowly, my gaze still distant.

He let out a soft sigh, running a hand through his hair. “Okay. Stay here, alright? I’ll go back and look for it. Frankie and Blanche should be home soon.”

I didn’t respond at first. The idea of someone else going out there to fix my mess made me feel even worse. But I couldn’t bring myself to argue. I felt drained, like the night had taken everything I had and then some.

“Will you be okay while I’m gone?” he asked.

I nodded again, still unable to meet his eyes.

Pathetic.

I'm fucking pathetic. I'm a loser.

He stayed for a moment, like he wanted to say something more, but then, he just gave a short nod and turned toward the door. The sound of it clicking shut behind him was almost deafening in the quietness of the room.

I sat there for a while, unmoving, my hands limp in my lap, fingers trembling slightly. Yes, I could get a new phone—that wasn’t the issue. The real problem was the data, the photos, the contacts, the messages, the files—half of them weren’t even backed up to the cloud. Months, no, years of work, gone. Just like that.

I dragged my hands over my face, the pressure on my skin doing nothing to stop the ache building behind my eyes. My chest tightened, and I felt a scream rising in my throat, again, but it wouldn’t come out. Instead, a choked sob escaped.

Why tonight? Of all nights, why tonight?

I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms, the sting barely registering. My breaths were beginning to grow shallow and shaky, and my heart thudded like it wanted to burst out of my chest. My eyes darted around the room, looking for something—anything—to blame, to lash out at.

I leaned forward, burying my face in my hands, but it didn’t help. The thoughts wouldn’t stop spiraling. Was this karma? I hadn’t exactly been a saint, but did I really deserve this?